Wednesday

Feb 13, 2019 at 12:43 PMFeb 13, 2019 at 4:07 PM

An officer with the Sac and Fox Police Department was found dead in his patrol vehicle early Wednesday in northern Brown County in northeast Kansas, and at this time, foul play is not suspected, the KBI and Brown County Sheriff's Office said.

Both agencies sent news releases on Wednesday announcing the death of the officer, who was identified as Kirby Robidoux, 43, of Falls City, Neb.

"Kirby was a very dedicated officer who always had a kind word for everyone he met," Brown County Sheriff John Merchant said in a statement. "Our sympathies go out to the family of the officer, his department and the community he served."

Merchant said the county's dispatch became concerned when the on-duty officer failed to respond to a radio check. The dispatcher a short time later requested assistance from the Iowa Tribal Police Department.

At about 5:58 a.m. Wednesday, a member of the Iowa Tribal Police Department discovered Robidoux dead in his patrol vehicle in the vicinity of 330th Road and Longspur Road.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office requested KBI assistance at approximately 6:15 a.m. to investigate the circumstances of the death. KBI agents and the Crime Scene Response Team responded.

"At this time, foul play is not suspected, but a full investigation is being conducted," said KBI communications director Melissa Underwood in a statement.

No other details, including cause of death, were immediately available. An autopsy was set to be performed, Merchant said.

"I am deeply saddened by his death and my heart goes out to his family and all those touched by his loss," said former Sac and Fox police chief Ron Ridley. "He was a good officer and a standup guy. He’d been chief, had served on the Tribal Council and had worked for (Bureau of Indian Affairs). I always knew I could count on him and he offered great insight into the challenges of navigating the complex environment of tribal law enforcement."

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